


Always Unspoken

by MachineQueen



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Femslash February, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-14 01:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13583313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MachineQueen/pseuds/MachineQueen
Summary: Tensions have been high for the Branwen Tribe ever since the fall of Beacon. Raven knows she's on borrowed timeand Vernal's head is full of all the things she can never say.Spoilers for Volume 5.Vernal/Raven.





	Always Unspoken

There was a girl in a cage at the back of the camp. Vernal stared at the slumped, unconscious form of Weiss Schnee and held back a wave of panic. This new...acquisition...hardly meant they’d be keeping a low profile. Vernal had seen the Atlas military ships when they’d frequented Mistral and was not keen on having one anywhere near the camp. Truth be told, the giant hunks of floating metal frightened her, though it was a truth she would never admit to anyone else. To express fear was just inviting a mocking from other members of the tribe. 

The captive’s Atlas-made rapier felt good in Vernal’s hand: light, precise. It was a thing of beauty. Vernal coveted it more than anything she’d seen in a while. The tribe had a tradition of making weapons out of the bits and pieces they stole. Every weapon Vernal had ever owned had been second hand. She’d never chosen for herself. But this weapon looked custom made, which did nothing to help the simmering resentment Vernal felt towards its owner. 

Vernal slashed with the rapier, experimenting. The air sang around the shining blade as she moved it. Vernal imagined fighting with it, how gorgeous it would look in combat. She’d have to stay close to her opponent - this was a weapon for speed, get one good hit in and then get out. In her mind’s eye, she saw Raven, helpless before a creature of Grimm. That was until she, Vernal, stepped in to save her with her all-powerful new weapon. 

It was a strange fantasy and one that went against the ethos of the tribe. Vernal had been taught to defend herself at all costs and never to put herself in danger for another tribe member. Besides, Raven could more than adequately protect herself. That was one of the things Vernal admired about her.

“Enjoying yourself, Vernal?”

Vernal was startled but she didn’t jump. Raven’s voice carried a lilt of amusement that Vernal heard all too rarely. It was a rough life; never stopping, never staying, always fearing what would happen if Salem chose to turn her gaze on them. So it was nice to hear her speak that way.

“Did you need something?” asked Vernal. It was a blunt question but she kept her tone polite. Raven preferred it if Vernal didn’t dilly dally. The tribe wasn’t a place for airs and graces. Vernal bet that their Atlesian hostage was brought up to say twice as many words than needed for every damn sentence she spoke. What a waste of breath.

“I just came to check on the hostage,” said Raven.

Vernal made a noise of non-committal. She only gave her opinion if Raven asked for it. Her eyes went back to the rapier, still in her right hand.

“You seem quite taken with her. How long have you been out here?” said Raven. 

“Someone should be here when she wakes up. I should make sure none of the others try anything funny,” said Vernal. 

Raven’s eyebrow quirked. “My, my. You certainly have taken a fancy to her. And her weapon too. Thinking of running off to Atlas?”

Vernal snorted. “As if. My place is here. Always has been, always will be. Do you still doubt me?”

“No,” said Raven, more softly than she usually spoke. “What I have asked of you...what I have and will put you through...I know it isn’t easy.”

“It’s worked so far,” said Vernal. “I have no complaints as long as the tribe is safe.”

“Good,” said Raven. 

Vernal expected her to turn and leave but she didn’t. The pair of them stood and looked at the Schnee princess locked in her cage, as though she were some sort of exhibit. The cage had been built for prisoners, but was more often used as storage space. Piles of junk had been cleared out of it and now leaned haphazardly out of reach of their prisoner. 

A strong breeze gusted through the camp, flapping the tents and chilling the air. Vernal felt the hairs rise on her arms. Ever since Beacon Academy fell, the land had felt eerie. Like it was holding its breath, waiting for something. Or someone. Vernal doesn’t need to tell Raven; she knows the other woman feels it too. She’s been ill at ease for days now. 

“It’s going to be a cold night,” said Raven, looking up at the sky. “If you wish to, you can sleep in my tent.”

It took Vernal a few seconds to process. By the time she’d readied a reply, Raven had already gone. 

XxX

Raven’s tent was off limits to everyone in the tribe except Vernal. Woe betide any unfortunates who were caught taking a sneaky look around. If they escaped with their lives intact, they were very lucky indeed. 

The contents of Raven’s tent were subject to a lot of rumour. Vernal had heard all manner of tall tales. Raven ate off golden plates and drank from silver cups. She had a library, a working television, a coffee machine and a pet Grimm she took for walkies in the dead of night. The tribe would be disappointed if they could see what was actually inside: a battered map of Remnant, a single bed with a floral bedspread, a few fancy trinkets and, inside Raven’s pillow, a crumpled photograph. 

Vernal had looked at the photograph, thinking it might be Raven’s daughter. It wasn’t. It was a picture of four cocky young huntsman and huntresses posing for the camera. There was some writing on the back but Vernal couldn’t read it. Raven told her stories, every now and again, of her old life where she’d been part of Team STRQ. 

Vernal could feel the photograph, stiff under the pillow case as Raven took her mouth in a kiss that crushed the breath out of her. It was an odd thing, how that kiss made her whole body sing. Raven kissed her like the world was ending and it was both the best and worst feeling. The best because such a kiss was rarely given. The worst because, from what Raven had told her, maybe the world really was ending...

XxX

“Still thinking about Atlas?” said Raven. 

“No,” said Vernal. Inwardly she thought it a little ironic that a woman like Raven who had left behind so much would worry about someone running off on her. Besides, Vernal was naked in her bed, hardly in a position to hot foot it out of there. “I’m thinking about you.”

Raven stiffened. “You shouldn’t be worrying about me.”

“Because of you, the tribe is safe. If we lose you, we’re done for.”

“You’re not going to lose me.”

 _I can’t,_ thought Vernal. _Because I don’t know if I can hold the tribe together without you._

“Things are different now,” said Vernal. “I know you’re putting on a strong front for the tribe. You can fool them. You can’t fool me. We’re running out of time.”

Raven didn’t dispute it. The two of them stared at the ceiling of Raven’s tent and tried not to think negative thoughts. Fear, anger, sadness...it would only bring Grimm. 

XxX

Vernal woke to a tremendous howling that shook the whole camp. She’d barely slept. She hadn’t moved but her mind had spent most of the night in a strange half place between sleeping and waking. She thought she’d had bad dreams but could only remember creeping shadows. 

Raven was already on her feet, dragging on her clothes. This was a drill the tribe were well used to. Everyone had to be able to dress in a minute and be armed in two. Vernal followed suit, pulling and fastening even as her mind refused to come round from its sleepy haze. The howl came again. Hearing it hurt. It was a sound no human or animal could make. 

“That damn Schnee girl. She must have woken up and brought it here,” said Raven. “You go. Don’t kill her, just knock her unconscious. Drug her if you have to.”

“Understood,” said Vernal. She hesitated. She wanted to ask Raven if she was going to try and stop the Grimm alone. But she already knew the answer to that.

XxX

The tribe was rattled. Raven’s appearance calmed them a little but no one liked the thought of Grimm roaming around outside their front door. A huddle of hushed men and women gathered in front of her tent, none of them asking the question on everyone’s minds.

“Follow the drill. Stay here, stay quiet,” said Raven. “You’re perfectly safe as long as you don’t leave the camp until I return. This shouldn’t take long.”

Meanwhile, Vernal headed towards the Schnee cage. The first thing she saw was the rapier, which she’d cruelly left just out of reach. Maybe that had been a step too far, a step too much But as she approached the cage, she realised that something was wrong. 

Weiss Schnee was still unconscious.Or at least, it looked like she was. Could she be pretending? Vernal peered at the heiress’s face which was turned towards the ground, pale and slick with sweat. Her breathing seemed natural but one couldn’t be too careful...

“Wakey wakey,” said Vernal softly. “I’m going to kill you now.” She drew her weapon, making sure the sound of metal was clearly audible.

Nothing. No involuntary tensing, no telltale flicker of movement. The girl was still down for the count. Fighting off the lancers and surviving the airship crash had clearly taken a large toll on her. 

If Weiss was still down for the count, that meant she hadn’t been the one to bring the Grimm after all. 

So who had? Even as she asked herself the question, Vernal knew the answer. 

It was all her fault. Her sleepless night worrying about the future had brought doom to them all. 

Vernal thought fast. If she was the one drawing the Grimm, she needed to get out of the camp. The thought of leaving Raven to fight it alone while it tried to find her was sickening. She wouldn’t let it come to her. She would go to it.

Vernal snatched up the Atlas rapier and ran. A little more firepower wouldn’t hurt.

 

XxX

“This is part of the plan,” Vernal assured the tribe as she ran out of the camp, still clutching the foreign weapon. She hoped they believed her but she had to admit that she didn’t look terribly convincing.

Finding the Grimm was easy; she just had to follow the sound of its howl. The creak of bark followed her as she ran - the path was strewn with trees that had been recently felled. Vernal fought back against the panic that threatened to claim her. Anything capable of doing that to the forest was powerful indeed. 

As Vernal had expected, the Grimm was all too eager to find her. She watched it emerge from the shadows, like the nightmares she’d had. Its huge body was heavily spiked with red and white spines which sliced through the forestry with ease. It had short stumpy legs and a long thin snout so that it roughly resembled a porcupine from the depths of hell. When it saw her, it howled again. Even though Vernal had braced herself for the sound, it left her rooted to the spot. 

Raven bore down on the creature from the air, her sword aloft. Though she swung hard and fast at the spines, the sword merely bounced off them. The recoil sent Raven flying. She managed to right herself and stumbled into a shaky landing. 

“Vernal! What are you doing?” she roared. She was wearing her mask but Vernal knew that underneath it her eyes were blazing violet. 

Most of the time Vernal was glad that she was not actually the Spring Maiden. But sometimes, just sometimes, she wished she was. Now was one of those times. 

“Fighting,” said Vernal. 

Raven’s sword wasn’t able to cut the spines. But maybe, just maybe…

Vernal ran, swinging Weiss’s rapier. It was a joy to hold and the hilt was packed with only the finest Atlesian dust, rounds and rounds of it. Vernal fired, knocking the Grimm off balance. Then she made her first cut. 

Just as she’d hoped, the fine blade was perfect for cutting through the Grimm’s spines. The creature howled in protest as Vernal ran the rapier along its flank, dislodging as many spines as she could. It twisted, attempting to get its jaws on her but Raven provided a nasty distraction for it. Shards of ice rained down on its front half. Between the two of them, the creature was stuck in place. 

Vernal stabbed again with the rapier. It had good reach on it and she was able to get in between spines. But all it accomplished was making the Grimm thrash furiously. Vernal narrowly avoided being pierced in the torso and put some distance between her and it. Raven was attacking from a distance now, throwing ice and fire and thunder with everything she had. So the final blow was up to Vernal. She tried to time it carefully, going for a blow to the neck. As she ran, rapier held out, it felt as though everything around her slowed. She saw the creature twist..and lash at her with a long, clubbed tail. Vernal saw the spikes heading for her and knew she was dead. 

“No!” said Raven furiously. 

Something hit her and sent her hurtling. It took her a moment to realise that it had been Raven and not the Grimm. The two of them landed in the dirt with a thud. 

Raven had saved her. Vernal felt the burn of humiliation. What use was she? She had brought the Grimm to the tribe and nearly killed Raven. All her worrying had done was bring her worst fears to fruition. Raven groaned, having landed awkwardly. She might be a Maiden but she’d had all the wind knocked out of her. Vernal looked for the rapier but Raven’s momentum had knocked it from her hand.

The Grimm pawed the ground and looked at Vernal with empty red eyes. And Vernal could have sworn that it grinned at her.

“Damn you!” said Vernal. She charged again with her own weapon drawn. She launched herself upwards and then brought the blades down, hard, on the join between the Grimm’s head and body.

This time it died. It was slower than Vernal would have liked.

XxX

Vernal made tea. Her hands wanted to shake but she forced them to be still. Both her and Raven had returned to the camp shocked but otherwise not that much worse for wear. Raven’s clothes were torn from being tossed around. Vernal had a graze on her cheek and one of her elbows. Raven didn’t drink the tea. She paced the tent, her brow drawn tight. 

“This can’t happen again.”

“I know,” said Vernal. She thought about the words ‘I’m sorry’ and wondered if she should say them. She was sorry. But right now that didn’t help anything. She hadn’t needed to tell Raven why she’d come to fight the Grimm. The guilt and worry had been written all over her face.

“It’s my fault. I’ve told you too much,” said Raven. 

“I need to be stronger,” said Vernal, trying to keep her voice free of emotion. “If I was being kept awake, I should have taken a sleeping draught.”

“Yes, you should have,” snapped Raven. “We need to get rid of the Schnee and get out of here. Anyone who saw or heard what happened to that Grimm will know exactly where we are.”

“Agreed,” said Vernal. She turned to leave, knowing that she was now in Raven’s bad books and would need to prove herself all over again. It frustrated her - every time she got close to Raven, something set her back. 

But then Raven called her name again. 

“Vernal? Thank you for worrying about me.”

Vernal turned. How was she supposed to reply to that? Nothing she thought of was suitable. There was no phrase she could use that truly described the way she felt. The two of them looked at each other in a long moment that Vernal knew she would remember forever.

“You can go now,” said Raven. 

So Vernal went.

**Author's Note:**

> I know a lot of folks consider Raven and Vernal to have a mother/daughter type relationship but I always saw them as the bandit camp 'Mum and Dad' which is what I've tried to convey here. I figured the camp would need a massive sense of security in order not to bring Grimm down on it and parents are usually protector figures. 
> 
> I hope this strange little fic finds someone to enjoy it :-)


End file.
